Smartphone is not our enemy: Nikon India MD Kazuo Ninomiya

In an exclusive chat, the Nikon top boss talks about the rise of selfie photography and how the smartphone has become ubiquitous in India.Lopamudra Ghatak&Khushi Khanna | ECONOMICTIMES.COM | September 20, 2016, 19:09 IST

No matter where you are or where you plan to be, Kazuo Ninomiya wants you to take a Nikon along. The next time you click a picture, the MD of Nikon India wants you to junk that smartphone, and, instead, own a camera that will give you superior-quality shots.

Of course, and it's not just brand loyalty - he emphasises that there is, indeed, a difference between a camera frame and a picture captured on a phone.

As we settle down for coffee with Kazuo Ninomiya on a breezy Delhi evening, there is an excitement in his voice as he talks about photography in the digital age, his love for food, and India's rich natural heritage.

You can tell by the animated chatter that he feels photography is an experience and can truly be delivered only by a camera. But, that doesn't mean he has anything against the smartphone.

Instead, he is quick to say that 'the phone is not our enemy', as he shows us Nikon's latest app offering called Snapbridge. Available on both the Android and iOS, this app lets you connect your camera to a smart device and share photos instantly.

Proud of the app that connects the two worlds, and eager to expand its market base, he says "The advantage is that with a DSLR there will still be a better photo, and with the app it can easily be shared.

Photography as an experience has to be cherished, and he feels that India is a great market. It is Kazuo Ninomiya's second India stint, and, having worked in several countries across Asia, he states that India has some of the best photography sites.

"In Japan if you want to take a good picture of even a bird, you will have to drive for more than 6 hours to spot birds. In India, that is not the case."

And he would know. Having travelled across the country on both business and personal trips, he has had ample opportunities to explore his love for photography, "I personally travelled to the countryside - Kerala & UP - to take photos because India has such rich natural beauty that I have rarely seen elsewhere."

Ninomiya has already been to 12 heritage sites, including the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the Keoladeo National Park, and the Taj Mahal. He adds, "India has 35 world heritage sites, and my target is to visit all of them during my tenure here."

Quite the avid traveller, the next places on Ninomiya's go-to list are Goa, Kanyakumari, and Darjeeling. (Image:Agencies)

Next year marks 100 years of the iconic brand. In India also, it will have clocked a decade. Talking about the country's love for photography and obsession with the 'selfie', he says, with a twinkle in his eye, "I didn't know so many people loved photography in India."

Photography has been democratised, thanks to the smartphone, and Nikon wants to make it accessible to as many people as possible with its technology.

"We are a luxury brand but we don't want to take photography away from people. We want to be accessible. We have the DSLR but we also have the compact camera that is much more reasonably priced. But yet the picture quality will be 'luxury'."

When the man behind Nikon India is not touring the country and conducting meetings, he is content to be cooking and of course relishing the variety of food that the country has to offer. Asked about his favourite meal in the city, he is quick to say that the Sarvana Bhawan and the Kerala State Bhawan in Delhi are his go-to places.

Excited about the launch of Nikon's revolutionary KeyMission 360, the 360-degree action camera, he promises a new experience to the people. Beaming he adds, "It's the world's first. The product will be better than my imagination."

For now that's what Nikon wants: to be able to promise new experiences that are tempting enough to make people move back to holding a camera instead of a smartphone.